Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) political party march during a protest rally in Jamrud on July 17, 2012. PHOTO: AFP

PESHAWAR: “NATO supply is haram and against sharia, we will issue a fatwa (decree) against it,” said Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) K-P Chief Prof Ibrahim declared while addressing a protest rally with thousands of determined participants who agitated against re-opening of the NATO supply in Jamrud, sub-division of Khyber Agency on Tuesday.

Addressing the gathering at Bab-e-Khyber, the historic gate which has seen armies from Central Asia march into the Subcontinent and Nato tankers crossing over into Afghanistan for the past decade, he said that if the supply was not halted, they would march towards Islamabad. He lamented that NATO jets were bombing the tribal people, while the rulers were providing security to the Nato supply.

The rulers, the JI provincial head claimed, have forgotten the unprecedented sacrifices rendered by Pakistanis, adding “it is unacceptable to us.” He said that the JI would continue its protest until the supply was halted.

Lashing out at the government, central chief of JI Sirajul Haq said that the country’s integrity has been put at stake not only by the federal but also by the provincial government as well.

He added that corruption was rampant while the Awami National Party (ANP), which is the ruling party in K-P, was acting like a sub-branch of CIA. “The ANP is responsible for all the bomb blasts in the province,” he alleged. Siraj further blamed the ANP for the anarchy in the province, saying that the provincial government had given weapons to the people and formed peace committees.

Haq said that the government had deferred the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project, which would have supplemented the gas dwindling gas resources in the country to shore up electricity generation and industry, solely due to US pressure.

“We would impose Khilafat and are not afraid of any sacrifice in the way of its imposition,” he declared.

Syed Munawarul Hassan,the JI chief said that the party would struggle to unleash an Egypt-like revolution in Pakistan, adding that the JI is against the military operation anywhere in the country which forces Pakistani people to live like refugees in their own country.

“The government has snatched all the employment opportunities from the people of Swat and Buner in shape of conducting offensives,” he said.

He asked that the chief of the armed forces should tell the nation that if peace has been restored in FATA and Swat then why are security forces gunned down in various incidents. He also asked why the security officials were not letting journalists to report from these areas. “The people should know how many mothers, sisters and wives have lost their loved ones and how many people have been put in torture cells in these areas,“ he said, suggesting the armed forces have been indulging in activities beyond the purview of their duties, codes of conduct. He asked when the Bara operation against the militants would end.

Hassan appealed to the gathered participants to join hands with the JI to work for the rights of the people. “We want to change the mind, and attitude of the people if Nato and US become a hurdle, we will choose the path of peace,” he commented.

The JI chief said that US is an enemy of Pakistan and the Muslim word and, in the larger picture, an enemy of Islam.

He said, “US burns copies of the Holy Quran, makes caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Therefore, we feel that people should support the Jamaat-e-Islami in the upcoming elections and other related activities.”

Hassan said that the people’s support will help JI get elected in the coming elections and more than that, rousing a revolution. “We want a behavioural revolution – a revolution of priorities and thinking and won’t let US become a hurdle in the way of this revolution.”

A large number of JI activists participated in the protest bringing the business activities in the area to a standstill. They also blocked roads leading to Khyber Agency while several people fainted due to sunstroke.

Members of the crowd told AFP on Tuesday that Islamabad’s decision to reopen the border, despite the United States eventually apologising for the deaths, was “treason”.

“The rulers have sold their blood for US dollars but we will continue to oppose it,” said Mohammad Amin, a shopkeeper from the northwestern Swat valley, where the Pakistan Army in 2009 defeated a two-year Taliban insurgency.

Musharraf opted for supporting the US under the threat that we will go back to stone age if we don’t support them. As a matter of fact, it reversed and we are in stone age after supporting the US. This is the bitter truth. Get rid of the US.

@JM:
Gen Musharraf did the right thing and everything was all right till he was in the power. It’s this democracy of yours which has landed us in this messiness.
These extremists which are shouting “DEATH TO NATO” slogans, there was not even a sign of them back in 2007.

@Pakistani Hindu, please get the facts correct, it was in Musharraf’s government when all the suicide bombers got started and it is the army which is the root of all problems in this country. Read the history from beginning and you will find that the army never let any government stay.

Respect all of your comments guys………….Musharaff made a mistake and runs away to safe his life…….He dont know death will catch him soon no matter how far he runs…..

Anyway……..let the USA containers go inside the afghanistan and clear to the owners and drivers of the containers they will not be able to come back to enter in Pakistan. Then seal all your afghan borders and let them have a taste of Afghan Land………….

I am 100000000000000% sure and guarantee they will have bleeding faces in short time and will be running here and there like mad dogs to safe their lives or begging for their lives.

Keep my words you will see them in the situation soon…………………………………because no one ever win the afghan land and no one will be able in the rest of this world………Recommend

Its very much sure and we all will see that USA must cook a sandwich of Pakistan by the help of India and for this he must make the afghanistan an nation ally and then by using the land of afghanistan will do the same as done against Russian war with the help of Pakistan. The game is very sample, so it is an advise for Pakistan to keep itself ready for this.Recommend

Do you think if these marchers got jobs and worked and contributed to society that Pakistan would become more prosperous? Do you think that if Pakistan got more prosperous, people would feel less inclined to scapegoat? Do you think that more prosperity would encourage additional education which would encourage additional rational thinking and prosperity and growth? Do you think that is the cycle that should be strived for instead of the death spiral from religious fanaticism, xenophobia and ignorance?

Dear what you think that by resuming supply line will get jobs in our Pakistan or will receive drone attacks from US and suicide bomber will send to our peaceful areas from those victim families. Such as the Taliban banned polio in those area due to against drone attack.

let answer that we will get jobs now by Govt decision or it will killed our brothers and sisters

Please think positive

you cannot do any thing by spending of money and don’t forget your Islamic rulesRecommend

We should simply stay out of this afghanistan USA conflict. We as Pakistanis have already paid a heavy price for this partnership. Let the US run its own war. We (Pakistan) are the only country which are considered an important ally, and at the same time being bombed regularly from the frontier. Our leaders have surely sold us all out. Imagine yourself in their situation and bombs being rained down on you. Stop being selfish and think as a unit. We have to stand together in these tough times. WE HAVE to understand the concept of “divide and conquer”, as thats exactly whats happening to us.Recommend

I don’t know what you are asking or saying. I do not think allowing supplies will create many jobs (it will create some for the drivers but that isn’t my point). I do think that 50,000 people not at work is not productive and creates a mob atmosphere that begets more violence.

The best thing you all could do is forget your ‘Islamic rules’. Live in peace, practice your religion personally and allow people to believe anything they want instead of trying to impose your views. That is the way to peace and prosperity.

On another note – PK must end its alliance with US. only a tiny secular minority which is linked to US cultural and financially benefit from this relationship. Rest of Pakistan frankly don’t give a damn.

@itsm3 who writes “We should simply stay out of this afghanistan USA conflict. We as Pakistanis have already paid a heavy price for this partnership. Let the US run its own war.”

I’m sure Pakistanis wish what you have written is true indeed.

Pakistan was neck deep in this war from Day1. In fact, I would go to the extent of saying that Pakistan is responsible for this war. Not Afghanistan, not USA.

How?

If it wasn’t for Pakistan’s magnanimity, Taliban wouldn’t be at helm in Kabul. Afghanis had to suffer unbearable oppression at the hands of Taliban because of Pakistan’s support only. The same Taliban also harbored Al Qaeda and Osama, who was responsible for 9/11. This 9/11 brought a war to Afghanistan.

Later, we all know that Osama was a guest at Abottabad.

So, all the Pakistanis, who are wishing to wash your hands off the Afghanistan conflicts, keep wishing. Because you are quite literally suffering the wrong doings of your ancestors. Recommend

I am glad JI has shown some backbone. The only fear is that they might be doing all this only at the behest of the military, being played by puppeteers, merely to increase latter’s bargaining power. We will know if JI suddenly fold up, creating only smoke instead of actually doing everything to stop Americans.

Good question. We will see how this strategy of biting the hand that feeds you works once the US is out of Afghan. I have proposed for a long time that the US should stop providing any support to Pak and instead give that money to India and Afghanistan.

Why would the US continue to help Pak if they are so hated? The US must need something, but that something will not be forever. Once the need has disappeared, Pakistan will reap what it has sown.

If these people had any support in Afghanistan you would see similar movements within Afghanistan. You are a typical Pakistani in perpetual denial of the fact that your country is radicalized where you have a military, which supports these non state actors and militant organizations. Everyone puts on a show and fools all the common folks.

Afghans don’t want these hypocrites in Afghanistan and their message is loud and clear but you don’t hear them.

let me correct a myth about afghanistan that it has never been conquered by invaders.fact of the matter is afghanistan is mostly a barren land
with almost no agricultural values thats why it has never attracted any invaders in history to conquer it.where as indian subcontinent has always remain a great attraction for invaders because of its immence agricultural sources.all the foreign invaders had passed through afghanistan enrout india.those,so obsessed with afghans bravery,are on the wrong side of history.

Now it is Haram but in 80s US dollars were Halal for these monsters. March toward US embassy in Islamabad and burn it down. What you are doing in Jamrud? You are simply trying to enrage tribal people to use them once again for the greater interest of Punjab(Pakistan).

NATO supplies started in Musharraf era and MMA was part of the government. No rallies were brought out by Jamat at that time. The same NATO supply is continued now and its ” Haram and against Sharia”. What a joke!!

They want Afghan people to fight round the clock while they want peace in their own country.Afghans are fed up of the continuous fighting and now they want peace and security like every Pakistani want for his own children.Taliban whether Afghan or Pakistan are curse to the humanity and they will never be in power again.So better for both of them is to come to political scene and shun militancy but they will never do it as war industry suits them.They have nothing positive to give to humanity.Recommend

These are the same self-proclaimed authorities, Jahils, Munafiqs and Khajite supporters, who claim Osama Bin Laden as ‘Shaheed’ (martyr) and claim and support the blood thirsty Taliban, that kill innocent Afghans and Pakistanis, as ‘their brothers’ and would want everyone subjugated to their backwards, regressive and twisted interpretations.

Reactionary, manipulative Fatwas from such Wahhabi/Salafi/Deoband/Sunni Islamist extremists means zilch. Their idea of Khilafat is driven by an ideology of political hate and hegemony.

All these DPC and JI are khaki’s stooges (include PTI too). They will disappear as soon as the order comes from Aabpara.
We have to pay the IMF 4+ billion dollars in few weeks, we are broke that is why this NATO route is opened.
US knows we are about to default that is why US only offered to continue to pay the same $250 for each container and release 1.1 billions to khakis that was owed but withheld.

Of course NATO Supply is Haram!!! not supporting JUI but its pretty sane point here. We are already facing the consequences of such actions and regime….. If sanity prevails it should not be repeated because we and west were never meant for each other from what ever side it may be seen.

Good Job JI.. at least someone raised the voice…although i dont believe in revolution through electoral system, as m in favor of Khilafa and islamic revolution but ii think JI is far better than all other political parties. JI can never sell Pakistan, they r patriotic n islam lovers, they’ll def. bring some good name to country if they win elections. so atleast vote them if you cant do anything postive.